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Staci Troilo on Story Inspiration and Gargoyles

Hi, friends. Today, I’m delighted to welcome Staci Troilo back to my blog with her latest release, LOVE SET IN STONE. I read this novel shortly after release and was immediately taken by the blend of paranormal elements in an urban setting. The character development is wonderful with one character in particular quickly stealing my heart. You can find my five star review on Amazon. In the meantime, please welcome Staci back with a great post on story inspiration and a special favorite of mine—gargoyles!

~ooOOoo~

Hi, Mae. Thanks for inviting me back to your site. And hello again, Mae’s friends. I appreciate you giving me a few minutes of your time today.

People often ask me where I get my ideas for my stories, probably because I write in several different genres. Truth is, my ideas come from all over the place. Weird dreams, conversations I overhear, stories my kids tell me, song lyrics, family history… the list goes on and on, and could probably become a blog post—or several blog posts—itself.

Today, I want to talk about the inspiration for my newest novel, Love Set in Stone. There are a few supernatural elements in that story (an angel, a fallen angel, and a gargoyle), but the inspiration for the novel came from a poem I read by Dav Pilkey called “God Bless the Gargoyles”.

In that particular work, there are no fallen angels. In fact, there are no romances, no criminals, no police detectives, no curses, no trips to hell. Yes, my novel has all these elements, and a lot more woven into the plot to turn this glimmer of an idea into a full-length novel.

What “God Bless the Gargoyles” does have is something that inspires me. After I read the poem, I was haunted by the image of these poor gargoyles who wanted to do nothing more than help the humans they watched over, and how sad they were when the humans turned on them. How the only friends they were left with were the angels in the clouds with them.

Believe me, my adult PNR novel is nothing like the children’s poem. But that one concept in the poem—the guardian angel and the gargoyle—stuck with me. And I think it’s proof that you can find inspiration for any kind of novel in the most unlikely places. Even for a paranormal romance in a children’s poem.

Excerpt:

“Damien?”

Damien jumped at the sound of Anael’s voice. He spun around to find the angel standing there. He didn’t float, he didn’t glow. Didn’t even smile like he usually did.

But he was there.

“Are you all right?” Damien asked. “I’ve been worried.”

“You didn’t make me break the rules, Damien. I chose to.”

“Because I was being stubborn.”

“It doesn’t matter. It was my choice.”

“I didn’t think angels had freewill.”

“How do you think we got the fallen? Sometimes we’re left to our own devices. And sometimes, we choose wrong.”

Damien tried and failed to shrug off the chills creeping up his spine. When he spoke, his voice croaked, barely above a whisper. “Did I make you… fall?”

“Stop worrying about me.”

“I’m sorry.” He was. Profoundly so.

Anael turned away from Damien and walked to the edge of the roof. He looked out over the lights of the city, didn’t turn around when he spoke.

“Damien. You need to forget about new terms to your contract. Operate as though nothing has changed.”

“If I’m not getting to renegotiate, then nothing has changed.”

Anael didn’t turn around.

“Anael? Has something changed?”

“Claim your destiny, Damien. And let me worry about mine.”

With that, the angel disappeared.

Damien called out to him, but he never returned.

A quick roll of his head released the tension in his neck. For about two seconds. Then the stress settled back on him, heavier than the stone of his alter ego.

Anael was in trouble. Because of him.

And the terms of his deal were absolute. Claim his destined future or forfeit his eternity.

Without the angel, without new terms, he had no choice.

So there’s a brief glimpse at Damien and Anael, the gargoyle and angel in Love Set in Stone, a PNR inspired by a children’s poem of all things. My advice to writers? Keep your eyes and ears peeled… you never know where inspiration will come from. And my advice to people who know writers? Be careful… you never know what about you might become fodder for your writer friend’s next work. 😉

Author BioStaci Troilo has always loved fiction, ever since her parents read her fairy tales when she was little. Today, her interests are much more eclectic. She loves getting lost in sci-fi battles, fantasy realms, horror worlds, suspenseful intrigues, and romantic entanglements.

As goes her reading, so goes her writing. She can’t pick a single genre to focus on, so she doesn’t even try. She’s proud to say she’s a multi-genre author.

When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with family and friends, possibly cooking for them, or maybe enjoying an afternoon in the pool. To learn more about her, visit http://stacitroilo.com or connect with her on social media.

I agree that authors can spin ideas from just about anything. I have a few of those old stories languishing in drawers too, Julie…and many of them will likely stay there, LOL! Thanks for checking out Staci’s post!

The combination of romance, criminals, police detectives, curses and supernatural elements is pure dynamite. At least for me. It already captured my attention. Regarding the source of inspiration, yes, it’s all around us. Best of luck with the release, Staci!

I hosted a family party yesterday and one of my guests knew I write (okay they all did, LOL) and she asked how I came up with my ideas. It was perfect come on the heels of Staci’s post. Thanks for checking it out, Sue. And I agree with you about that cover!